LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has said that the government will seek cooperation of the Indian Punjab to install bio-gas‚ bio-mass power generation plants and other alternate resources, reported Radio Pakistan.
Speaking to a delegation of Indian energy sector experts in Lahore on Wednesday, Shahbaz said the government is committed to overcome the energy crisis and it will get assistance from every available quarter for the purpose.
The head of the Indian delegation‚ Perveet Baadal expressed his readiness to cooperate with the Punjab Government for installing power plants based on alternate resources.
Earlier this week, it was reported that Pakistan is set to sign an initial deal for import of electricity from Delhi.
“The two sides are likely to ink an MoU for electricity trade,” a source said, pointing out that this was going to happen despite the fact that Delhi had succeeded in getting a decision in its favour from the International Court of Arbitration.
India has offered to supply about 500MW of electricity in the beginning and this plan could be implemented within a year by laying a transmission line.
A senior government official said Pakistan felt that it could import 2,000-2,500MW of power from India to tackle the acute shortage which had hit its economic growth bringing it down to 3% a year.
India has also expressed interest in exporting oil, but since Pakistani refineries produce low-quality oil whereas India produces oil of Euro 2, 3 and 4 standards, they cannot press ahead with the plan.